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- fashion of wearing the ear pendants not from the ears themselves but hooked from the hair just above.
Some of the belts, with plaques of cast gilt bronze for men, can also be of outstanding quality [91]. Often articles for daily use, such as these manicure sets [90], hooks, tweezers, flints and personal seals, were hung from belts.
Most men and women carry around colourful charm boxes or talisman boxes (gau) [85] hung around their necks, from a shoulder strap or dangling from their belts. The boxes are usually inlaid with turquoise, coral, paste or coloured glass and are further embellished with rows of pearled and twisted wire forming various intricate filigree designs. Some have embossed designs of various religious sym�bols. One type of box has an opening showing an image inside, while others contain blessings written on paper, relics or objects blessed by a lama, or protective charms. The charm boxes have attachments in the form of tubes or lugs and come in various sizes and shapes � round, square, rectangular, oval; and some assume a shrine-shape and can be used as portable shrines.
Household Paraphernalia
The staple food of Tibet is a hardy highland barley called ginke. Tibetans eat barley flour mixed with tea, butter and cheese kneaded into little balls known as tsampa. A popular beer drink called chang is also made from barley, and a whiskey drink called arrail is distilled from the chang. However, the most popular drink in Tibet is butter tea. The tea usually comes from China in the form of bricks and is used as barter. The tea mixed with butter and salt forms a nourishing part of the diet.
Yaks are another important source of food. Milk products are used to make cheese and yoghurt. Despite being Buddhists, the Tibetans eat yak meat and mutton, but they obey the Buddhist rule of not killing by havingtheMoslims butcher the animals for them. Since the harsh conditions of high altitude do not allow for the growing of vegetables, the Tibetans have been forced to make animal meat an essential part of their diet.
The Tibetans have all sorts of interesting vessel shapes for their food and drink, which are often embellished with religious symbols. The most attractive of these are the metal teapots. Many are fitted with animal-shaped handles, spouts in the shape of a makara creature, and have various beautiful applique medallions. The teapots used on special occasions are usually made of copper with gilt and silver mounts, and the ones for everyday use of the common people made of earthenware.
The simple bowls used for both tsampa and tea are made of wood and are sometimes decorated with hammered metal rims [104], Being nomads, Tibetans usually carry around wooden sheaths containing their cutlery: a knife and chop�sticks. More well-to-do Tibetans had teacups made of porcelain or jade imported from China. These were mounted on silver stands and have decorative lids [101].
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